Modern construction techniques applicable to multi-story apartment and commercial building construction require that safety barriers or guardrails be erected around the perimeter of all uncompleted floors to protect workers against accidental falls. In the United States, safety regulations require construction worker fall protection for any walking or working surface that is six feet (1.8 meters) or more above a lower level. Guardrail systems are a common means of fall protection. Safety regulations often require that guardrail systems have at least two rails, a top rail with a top edge that is typically 39-45 inches (1.0-1.2 meters) above the walking/working level, and a midrail that is midway between the walking/working level and the top rail.
The general practice to erect such fall protection safety barriers, particularly in wood-framed buildings, is to use long “2×4” boards (commonly referred to as “two-by-fours”). Such boards are nailed together in varying patterns in order to provide the desired guard railings. After such railings have served their purpose, they are knocked down, the longer boards typically reserved for future guard railings. The shorter boards are not always reusable. Furthermore, the longer lengths of lumber frequently become damaged due to the application thereto of repeated impact blows, different nail placements, and when tearing out nails upon disassembly. Although such makeshift guard railings may meet safety requirements, they require more than one person and a fair amount of time to construct and often result in the destruction of the materials used when they are disassembled after completion of work at a construction site. Obviously, the additional labor and cost of materials used will add to the expense of the job. Many such railings also fail to pass the rigidity requirements of safety inspectors.
As a result, various designs have been proposed to aid in erecting temporary fall protection barriers that meet strict safety guidelines. To a large extent, however, most of the proposed designs are impractical, expensive, and too complicated. Guardrail systems that are too complicated will not be used efficiently and/or properly by workmen at a construction site, thereby posing a safety risk.
Therefore, a need exists for a simple and reusable guardrail system that is effective in preventing accidental falls, meets safety guidelines, and can be assembled and disassembled efficiently.